Junagadh, September 27 Three persons have been detained for interrogation by the Forest Department following the recovery of carcasses of eight peacocks from the agriculture fields located on the outskirts of Bhojde village on the periphery of Gir Forest. They have been identified as Narshi Gopal, Dinesh Naran and Chino Koli, who worked as labourers on the agriculture land owned by Kala Ahir, Uka Ahir, and Menasi Ahir.

Talala range forest officer B K Parmar said: "Two of the six carcasses had been partly eaten by wild animals. Though the veterinary doctor from Sasan (Gir) Forest headquarters carried out a postmortem, the exact cause of death has not been ascertained. The viscera of the birds have been dispatched to the Junagadh Forensic Science Laboratory for a detailed clinical examination."

He said since the three have denied any role in the death of the birds, they are awaiting the FSL report.

"We will take appropriate action once we get the report. The peacock is a Schedule-I bird; the killing of which is punishable with imprisonment up to 3 to 7 years. Beside, the peacock is a our national bird and has to be protected," said Parmar.

Junagadh: In a rare occurrence, a pride of lions — three lionesses and two lions, have made an open crematorium in Nesdi village of Khambha taluka of Junagadh district their home, scaring villagers.

The pride, which refuses to leave, roams around areas surrounding the village during daytime in search of prey and returns to the burial place. Says a villager, Bhiku Vala, "We have appealed to the forest department to take immediate action as these beasts have hindered our daily movements. Not only that, they have also been preying on our cattle and Neelgais of the area."

Meanwhile, in the neighbouring village of Samadhiyada, a leopard has kept the villagers terrorised by regularly preying on their cattle. A cage has been put in place to catch the spotted trouble but the villagers are yet to get lucky.

Rajkot: Just when the tourists season begins in Gir Sanctuary the —only abode of Asiatic lions in the world — as many as nine hotels and resorts have been sealed by authorities for not having mandatory licences related to entertainment and food and drugs control.

All these resorts and hotels are located around the Sasan Gir area. Sources said that these hotels were sealed during the two days of surprise checks which were conducted on theses hotels, resorts and farmhouses in the periphery of Gir Sanctuary by a team consisting of mamlatdar, taluka development officer and police sub-inspector.

Among those sealed are famous resorts like Gir Jungle Resort, Gir Resort, Leo Hotel, Pride Resort, Hotel Lion's Paw and Bhavesh Farm. When contacted, Talala mamlatdar Ami Doshi said that despite repeated oral instructions to hoteliers in the area, some businessmen avoided availing necessary licenses. She said two people Dipak Gajjar and Kishorsinh Jadeja were also found running hospitality business at their respective farms without taking non-agriculture (NA) certificate from the authorities.

She said besides licenses for entertainment food for the hospitality business, owners are also supposed to take permission from forest department in case their establishment is situated within 5 km of area of Gir Sanctuary.

There are as many as 40 hotels, guest houses and resorts are situated in Talala talukas on the fringes of Gir Forest. According to Doshi, authorities want to complete the checks before the tourist season peaks. TNN

New Delhi: The controversial plan to shift some lions from Gir to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno Palpur sanctuary has got support from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) overseeing 'Project Tiger' in the country. At a high-level meeting, Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of NTCA, strongly supported the relocation plan saying it was not only necessary for ecological balance but also a crucial step to save the threatened species from extinction.

Presently, Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has been asked to identify zoos from where lions can be released in Kuno Palpur sanctuary in Shivpur Kalan district. "Only trained zoo-bred animals having wild instincts will be released and not first generation lions," Gopal said.

"We need to take pro-active steps if we want

to save lions. Just

i m a g i n e what will happen in case lions in Gujarat are afflicted with some epidemic or there is a natural calamity. An alternative home is a must. In fact why only Madhya Pradesh? We can look for more homes," he added.

His comments assume significance in the wake of objections raised by some members, including wildlife expert M K Ranjitsinh, who said the relocation experiment might fail as the animals to be released will not be trained in handling conflict. Members were also doubtful of the genetic purity of zoo-bred lions.

However, Gopal contended that the programme will be scientifically planned. "What is the harm in introducing captive lions if we get pure lineage? They will be raised in-situ in Kuno Palpur and then released in the wild after they are radiocollared," he said.

He was of the view that when domestic animals like cows and buffaloes can adopt survival instincts of living in the wild, then why not lions. CZA has already identified Delhi and Hyderabad zoos where pure genes of lions are available. It has also allocated Rs 70 lakh to execute the plan. PTI

GANDHINAGAR: The GenNext of Asiatic lions at Sasan Gir sanctuary is going to be stronger and healthier. Conservation of the endangered species is set to take a giant leap forward with creation of three gene pools.

The decision has been taken by Gujarat forest department. According to conservator of forests, Bharat Pathak, the gene pools are a long-term measure and will be at Rampara Virdi, around 40 km from Rajkot, Sakkarbaug Zoo and Hingolgadh in Jasdan taluka in Rajkot district. "These pools will help conserve genetic diversity. This is captive conservation of lions," he explained.

Officials said inbreeding has always been a concern. This could lead to deterioration in genes and rise in diseases harming the animals. "The gene pools will help us monitor and create healthy specimens," said a senior official involved in the project.

With the entire population of Asiatic lions confined to just one area, it is highly vulnerable to any kind of biological, climatic or man-made catastrophe. A major disaster within Gir could wipe out the entire species at a stroke. So would a disease outbreak.

Officials said Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, is exploring a possible second home at Kuno-Palpur Sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh. Measures are also being taken to correct a little known biological imbalance in the species.

"There are two types of conservation — one within the environment and the other where the animal is taken out of the environment and genetic diversity conserved. Each gene pool will have 10 to 20 animals," said another senior official.

The step is being taken to counter the Centre's move to shift the animals to Kuno, which Gujarat government is against. Around 50 of the wild cats will be shifted to these pools. The pools would also be used as breeding grounds for 10 to 12 pairs.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Nahan (Himachal Pradesh), Sep 16 (IANS) Eight Asiatic lions at the Renuka lion safari in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh are fighting a losing battle against diseases and abnormalities brought about by inbreeding.

'The lions in the safari are facing genetic ailments due to inbreeding. The entire population of lions is the progeny of a pair brought from Trichur in Kerala in 1977. This has weakened the bloodline and their immunity to disease,' Forest Minister J.P. Nadda told IANS.

'The entire stock of lions in the safari has grown very old and become genetically weak,' said Nadda.

'Majority of the lion population is between the age group of 16 and 19, which is quite close to the maximum age of the caged animals,' said divisional forest officer (wildlife) Nagesh Guleria.

At one time, their number had increased to 29. Now the safari, which started in 1975, is home to one lion and seven lionesses.

Between 2002 and 2008, seven lions and one lioness died.

'They (the lions) are victims of the indifference of the wildlife wing of the forest department,' said R.S. Kishtwaria of the College of Veterinary Sciences, Palampur.

'The flawed reproduction programme for the past three decades has weakened their bloodline and devastated their gene pool. The entire stock has lost the Asiatic lion's basic characteristics and immunity to disease. Most of them are now so weak that they cannot run or play. They even make fewer movements than an average lion does,' he added.

On May 23, 1975, a pair of lions was first brought to the safari from Junagarh in Gujarat. Due to a change in the climatic conditions, the pair died.

After that, another pair was brought here from Trichur in Kerala. The pair gave birth to its first cub in 1980.

Interestingly, the entire present population of the wildcats at the safari is the progeny of the first cub. Now the breeding has been stopped by separating the lonely male from the females.

'The problem started in 1991 when a male suffering from bent neck condition was brought here from Punjab's Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park. It was involved in breeding till 1998. The genetic abnormality of the male got transferred to its offspring,' wildlife chief conservator Lalit Mohan said.

'Between January 1998 and May 2000 seven cubs died due to genetic disorders,' he added.

'The wildlife wing does not want to spend money on these 'useless' creatures as they may not survive many years,' said a senior official who requested anonymity.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Delhi Public School, in an enthusiastic endeavour to Save Gir Lions, donated Rs. 12000 to Wildlife Conservation Trust – Rajkot to barricade/protect two Open Wells. "Open Wells are watery graves for wild animals of Gir jungle", says Kishore Kotecha of the Trust. In the small event students, Principal Dubey, Parent Representatives and Ms. Bhartiben Goswami head of DPS Community service, handed over the cheque.

GANDHINAGAR: The forest department has finally woken up. To strengthen their informer network and also to get more tip-offs about illegal activities in and around various sanctuaries in the state, the department has proposed incentives for informers.

A proposal has already been cleared and is awaiting a notification from the government. Officials said several incidents of wood theft have been reported in the state and this incentive will be very handy to curb the menace.

Forest officials have proposed to give nearly 10 per cent of the. Incentives will also be given to informers of suspicious movement of value of the seizure as incentive to the informer people in the area, a senior official of the department said.

He said this is apart from the regular incentive announced by the government . Officials said, however, the department has left it to the government to decide incentives for information regarding any movement of people, poaching and also information related to wildlife protection.

These will be designed on the same lines as the police information network . Foresters feel these funds will become necessary since the area of forest jurisdiction will increase - like in Gir where lions were earlier confined to 1,450 sq km, but now they are found in a larger area.

The department is already facing shortage of staff in the entire state and hence such a move will be a boost conservation of wildlife. This proposal was under consideration ever since the recent poaching incident took place, the official said.

AHMEDABAD: The state forest department has decided to have one more zone for effective monitoring of wild life sanctuaries in the state. This will be which will be the north Gujarat zone - fifth in the state. Wild life sanctuaries like Wild Ass Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar and Thol will come under this zone.

This move comes after the forest department set up a task force in the aftermath of lion poaching incidents in Gir. Officials in the department felt the need to adopt a focused approach , backed with technology since resources in the Gir sanctuary were over-worked .

Now, the department has carved out north Gujarat as a separate area for better forest management. Eleven new posts, including that of conservator of forests, will be created for upgrade of national parks and sanctuaries in north Gujarat area.

Forest officials say that there was a possibility that Jessore sloth bear sanctuary in Banaskantha too might be covered in this zone. Officials said that a provision of Rs 4.61 crore has been made for the use of modern technology for the conservation of wildlife in sanctuaries. It includes the cost of engaging a consultant for the development of specifications , system requirement study, development of geographical information systems (GIS) database, and control room applications along with hardware and software.

Officials further stated that while the ground staff in the Gir sanctuary will be provided with geo-communications hand-held field units, a Gir management cell will be set up for the implementation of special measures in the lion-specific areas of Saurashtra.

A senior official said that so far the control over wild life zones was not uniform such that an official in Junagadh would be covering the wild ass sanctuary over a jurisdiction extending up to Velavadar in Bhavnagar. Chief conservator of forest ML Sharma says this new zone will strengthen the administration and will also help in proper co-ordination . Moreover, it will help in closely monitoring the situation.

Gandhinagar, September 11 MP seeks SC intervention for translocation of Gir lions to its Kuno-Palpur sanctuary

Even as the Gujarat government has initiated measures to develop the forest area in and around the world famous Gir Wildflife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh has pressed its demand to translocate some of the Gir lions to the 344 km Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in the state.

In response to a PIL, the Supreme Court had recently referred the case involving Madhya Pradesh's demand to the National Board for Wildlife. It had also directed it to submit a detailed report on the issue.

"As directed by the SC, the National Board for Wildlife has just submitted its report to the apex court, recommending the translocation of some lions to our Kuno sanctuary. We are awaiting the court's orders," said P B Gangopadhyay, Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) .

He told Newsline over the phone from Bhopal that his department has already taken up a Centre-aided Rs 24 crore Asiatic lion Introduction Project to accommodate some Gir lions, provided Gujarat agrees to transfer them to the Kuno sanctuary. "We have already relocated about 24 villages on its periphery. Besides, the department has also created enough prey-base for the Asiatic lions in case they are shifted here," he said.

Incidentally, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has also plans to obtain some pairs of lions from zoos in Hyderabad, Delhi and Bhopal, for breeding in the Kuno sanctuary. Gandgopadhyay added: "We have mooted this proposal, but it will take at least three generations (15-20 years) for zoo-bred lions to be naturalised. We believe it will be easier for us to habitat Gir lions in the sanctuary rather than wait for such a long naturalising period."

But Gujarat has resolved to resist any move to transfer some of the Gir lions to the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary.

Gujarat Forest Minister Mangubhai Patel, said: "If our neighbours pin hope on the apex court to issue orders in their favour, Gujarat will also give a legal fight and ensure that the Asiatic lions as demanded by Madhya Pradesh are not transferred to Kuno-Palpur sanctuary."

He said the conditions in Kuno-Palpur are not congenial for the Gir lions. Besides, the presence of tigers in Kuno is bound to cause frequent clashes between the two apex predators over territories, he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Narendra Modi has said that the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre has been ignoring the lion conservation and habitat development programmes in Gujarat.

Last week, while chairing the Gujarat State Wildlife Advisory Board meeting at Gandhinagar, Modi demanded that the Centre take up conservation of the Asiatic lions on the lines of 'Project Tiger'. He directed senior officials of the state Forest department to draft a comprehensive "Project Lion" plan and submit the same to the Centre.

The CM has also demanded that the Centre allocate funds for the protection and conservation of Asiatic lions, and also for an overall development of the Gir sanctuary and its surrounding forest areas. At the meeting, he asked the Board members to call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and make a strong representation for the allocation of funds. Incidentally, Modi had also raised this issue at a recent meeting of the Planning Commission in Delhi.

Pradeep Khanna, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), Gujarat, said: "Last year, the state government had submitted a detailed project report to the Union Environment and Forest Ministry and sought Rs 61 crore for lion conservation and other developmental activities in and around the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary."

He added: "We have been pursuing this with the Centre on a regular basis, but it has yet to respond to the Rs 61 crore project report."

He added that if the Centre could announce 'Project Tiger' and provide funds of over Rs 200 crore for the protection and conservation of the big cat in as many as 27 tiger reserves across the country, then a "Project Lion" for Gujarat should also be implemented.

The total area of Gir sanctuary is 1,412 sq kms, and it accommodates 359 Asiatic lions.

Junagadh, September 11 Over 25,000 workers form a joint front to oppose closure of mines after govt's July 2008 decision

Following the closure of the stone mines near Junagadh, which fall within a five km radius of Girnar, some 25,000 odd mine workers and labourers have started an agitation under the banner of the Mine Worker Interest Protection Committee (MWIPC).

They have opposed the grant of sanctuary status to Girnar and called for the resumption of mining activities there. They have started an indefinite relay fast in front of the office of the collector and said that unless their demands are met, or an amicable solution is found to resolve the issue, they will intensify their stir.

In July 2008, the state government had declared the 200 sq km Girnar forest a sanctuary.

Earlier, it was under the reserved forest category. Girnar is the second home of the last surviving group of Asiatic lions after Gir. The forest provides shelter to some two-dozen lions, 50 leopards and hundreds of herbivores.

Haribhai Dabhi, MWIPC leader, said: "The closure of the mines has affected some 25,000 labourers and their family. We are struggling for a daily meal. If mining does not resume soon, a mass exodus cannot be ruled out." He added that the closure of the mines has also affected the education of their children.

Lakhabhai Parmar, a mine workers' leader and the Junagadh Municipal Corporator from ward 17, said if the government fails to resolve the issue, they will resort to a "chakkajam".

He added that the Junagadh Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) also falls within the five km radius of the sanctuary limit. "All the factories and industrial activities function normally there. When the sanctuary rules do not affect the GIDC, then why are the mines being shut," Parmar said.

Naranbhai Dabhi, a labour leader said: "The mines are located in a safe area outside the sanctuary limit. There is a railway line and the state highway runs parallel to the sanctuary border. The mines are located beyond this highway. No wild animal has been seen roaming around in the mining area."

He said the resumption of mining activities will not damage wildlife or environment. "No heavy machinery is used in these mines. So the question of air, water or sound pollution does not arise," he added.

One another common incidence. A pride on three consecutive days killed five cattle in coastal village of Khaan of Una Taluka.

Kishore Kotecha's Comment :- I was read 1884 article of William Rice (who has hunted lions in two digits!) has written that lions stay in outskirts of such villages for days and weeks if they get easy pray.

Foresters fire in air to scare bootleggers ( In Barda, proposed home for lions)

Times of India

A team of forest officials, who had raided liquor units at Mount Barada in Porbandar city on off a crowd of bootleggers who pelted stones at them. The officials conducted a raid following a tip-off that several countrymade liquor units operated at Mount Barada. "When the team, led by range forest officer Gilan Godhaniya, raided units owned by bootlegger, Jesa Rabari, they were attacked by Jesa's associates with stones," said a forest official. "The officials had to resorts to firing in the air to stop the heavy pelting," he added. The department has registered a case against Jesa.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Lions attacks human-being have increased and are a matter of worry. In last incidence, lion entered a hut of poor family and silently picked up a child just like running leopard. In another incidence, lion silently attacked a old man near Mityana jungle. The similarity of these incidences is the way how lion attacked which normally is not seen in lions.

Experts say this must be because of increasing number of lions and loss of habitat. In about 1900 Gir forest cover was about 5000 km2, which is now only 1412 km2.

Kishore Kotecha's Comments :- I deed this is writer's opinion of lion behaviour. One should just not make comments without scientific base behind it. My view is lions have been co-existing with human-beings since centuries and since then such human attacks are recorded. Now only change is publicity of the incidence in media. I definitely agree with writer (Shri Haresh Dave – Junagadh) that lion population is increasing, its habitat is decreasing and hence more chances of attack.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Guj. Forest Dept. has started work for establishing Gene pools for Gir Lions at Rampara Reserve forest. Umath Barda and Sakkar Bag Zoo. For the purpose forest dept. had demanded 600 Acres of land from seven villages near the sanctuary area. Out of these 200 acres have been given for Rampara expansion at present by Guj. Revenue Dept. Prey Base development and breeding is already started.

One more cow killing incidence happened at Dhokalva village in Gir E. The incidence happened at Bhagwan Lakha Baldaniya's farm on Una – Tulshishyam Road some 5 – 6 kms away from the Gir E forest. Two Lions, very silently, killed the cow and eat it. Owners released it only in the morning and informed forest dept. forest officials confirmed the kill by two lions from its pug marks.

A pair of two male lions killed a cow inside the Madhubhai Arjanbhai Khokhar at Fatsar village in Gir E. this male duo jumped over (or managed!) a 9ft high compound wall and entered the house where the cow was along with two bullocks.

The residents woke up due to the noise. The man of the family, slowly got out and opened the compound gate. Then they scared away the Lions out of the house to protect two bullocks.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

AHMEDABAD: The lions in Gir may have been poached for their bones, claws and hide, but chinkaras are killed only for feasts, confirm foresters.

Forest officials also agree that although these incidents are rarely reported, they are rampant. Navin Bapat, a wildlife activist working in Kutch, says, "In the past, Kutchi community people would gather on Dhuleti day and move out in the jungle hunting whatever animal came their way. The people would later feast on the game in the evening."

However, according to Bapat, this practice has stopped for the past few years. He said that though this could be termed as the first incident of poaching using guns, poaching using sharp weapons and traps, which create less commotion, cannot be ruled out. "Some notorious people are involved in the poaching and it is they who are handling the entire operations," says Bapat.

Officials say that a handful in the meat-eating community is involved in poaching. They recall how poaching incidents were reported when any major guest visited these areas. An official said that not many incidents of poaching come to light as they happen after dark and the carcass is disposed of. Jugal Tiwari, another wild life activist, says, "A handful of anti-social elements are involved in poaching. These are rare instances, but when they come to light the forest officials should take them seriously and punish those guilty."

Admitting that chinkaras were killed only for eating, conservator of forest RL Meena said that "there are several communities which relish deer meat". He clarified that contrary to rumours of eight Chinkaras being killed, only one was actually killed. Meena said that the officials have detained one person.

In another incidence of "lion out of the jungle", a pride of 12 lions killed one cow near Pilukiya river bridge in Dalkhaniya Range in Gir East. The forest staff also succeded in caging one injured lion for treatment.

AHMEDABAD: Nearly five generations later, the King of the Jungle is reclaiming ancestral land!

The Asiatic lion's moving out of Sasan Gir, known as its last abode in the world, to the stretch between Porbander and Mahuva in Bhavnagar. This, say experts, is a return to its original home.

While the younger generation of foresters and wildlife observers view this as the lion "straying out" of the protected Gir sanctuary, sexagenarian experts recall how these areas in the pre-Independence days were always dominated by Asiatic lions. In the last few years, several lions have been spotted in areas inhabited by humans outside Gir, either in search of prey or water, or because their population had increased. Gir was declared protected in 1965.

Based on this, the state forest department has prepared a project called 'Greater Gir' to include areas around the protected forest. The department has declared Girnar as a sanctuary, while Mityala in Amreli district has also been notified as sanctuary.

A forest official says that several other areas would also be declared as conservation reserves. In these areas, the department will also improve human habitat and protect the lions present there.

Former chief conservator of forest GA Patel says about the phenomenon, "It is nothing new for lions who are regaining their old territory which they had lost due to increase in human habitat in the area."

Patel says earlier lions were found in the entire Saurashtra region, right from Gondal in Rajkot to Porbander, as also upto Palitana and Mahuva in Bhavnagar. He says with population increasing, the area became smaller for lions and hence they started moving out.

Former principal conservator of forest Sanat Chavan says that a 1920 census had revealed that the population of lions was over 300 covering parts of Bhavnagar, Porbander, Junagadh and others in Saurashtra.

But with the human population increasing, the land under cultivation also increased and simultaneously the population also reduced to about 260. With population decreasing the lions were confined only to Sasan and around. But now with the population increasing over 350 the beasts are regaining lost territory, says Chavan.

Conservator of forest Bharat Pathak says, "There are several reasons why the lion population was confined only to Gir region. With the human habitat increasing, the land under cultivation also increased. This hindered the movement of lions in their natural corridor. Also in the pre-independence era, the Nawabs use to permit hunting and hence the lions remained confined to one area. The lions are now moving back to their own lost territory."

In another incidence of man-animal conflict, a leopard attacked a 6 year boy Karan Utambhai Adivasi. His family had come to Gir area from other district to earn money by farm labour work. Incidence took place at Pipadava village near Talala town in Gir West.

Leopard picked up the boy by head and started running away. But people of nearby farms gathered and sowed the boy. He was admitted to hospital for treatment and is safe. Forest department has taken necessary steps to catch the leopard.

Kishore Kotecha's Comment :- My opinion is lions and other wild animals are gaining their lost habitate. Due to examplory consumption efforts, lion and other wild animals population is on rise in Gir forest. So over concentration inside the forest is also one of the reason of animals venturing out of animals venturing out of the sanctuary. This means alternate home is need of the day.

GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat Wild Life Advisory Board has in a unanimous resolution demanded funds from the Central government for lion conservation. The resolution, taken in a meeting on Monday, demanded that the Centre should take up lion conservation on the lines of Project Tiger.

The board in the resolution also said the Centre has been neglecting the lion conservation programme. Chief Minister Narendra Modi also called on the board members to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and make a representation to allocate funds for lion conservation.

The board has also decided to form Gujarat Wildlife Internet Society and to organize programmes to educate tourists coming to the state. It has decided to use various channels to create awareness about various birds and animal species spotted in various sanctuaries of the state. T he board cleared the Greater Gir project which will be a comprehensive project for conservation of rare Asiatic lions in the area outside the Gir Sanctuary. Officials said that under this project, various areas where there is a sizeable lion population will be declared as sanctuaries.

SK Nanda, principal secretary, forest, said the board, which met after nearly 18 months, discussed various programmes and the second sanctuary of Barda which was under development for lions. He said that they have also decided to take up activities in and around the sanctuaries throughout the year.

Board members have also decided to provide road connectivity to villages within the sanctuary. Nanda said that the villages near Ambaji and Danta will be connected to the surrounding areas such that they are more accessible to people.

Officials said that all the proposals will be sent to National Wildlife Board for final clearance.

In Junagarh, Gujarat, the Maldharis are extremely tolerant of lions. But the nomadic community, indigenous to the area, are alienated now. They were comfortable with the lions ways: now they are unsettled. On the other hand, tiger attacks on humans are not uncommon in Sunderban villages. But increasing human population is pitting man against beast. East or West, the issue of animal- human conflict is basic to conservation research and practice in India.

July 24, 2007, Amirul Naiya, was attacked by a tiger as he, his brothers and three other fishermen were pulling up their boat into a creek in the dense Sunderbans mangroves. Naiya lay on the deck, bleeding.

Just three days later, Pratul Naskar, got grabbed by the throat and dragged into the Benipheli forest in the Sunderbans' Kultali area, while hunting for crabs in a creek. His body hasn't been found.

The attack on Naskar was the fifth tiger strike in the Sunderbans in less than a month. Since April 2007, tigers have killed at least nine fisherfolk; 16 times, they have strayed into villages near forests, say the state forest department records.

"An average 16 tiger killings are reported every year, but the actual number is much more," informs Sunderban Biosphere Reserve director Pradip Shukla. Villagers and local wildlife experts say the actual tally is closer to 50. Many killings go unrecorded.

Almost all killings take place in forest areas. In the past decade, only one person has been killed by a straying tiger. But numbers aside, it is clear the human-animal conflict here remains unresolved. Humans as prey are an aberration, but about 5 per cent of Sunderbans tigers are man-eaters.

According to Pranabes Sanyal, former field director of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve and a renowned authority on the Royal Bengal Tiger, April and May is the honey-collecting season in the Sunderbans. But this is also littering season for tigresses; protective mothers often pounce on men near their hideouts. "In most cases they kill the man, but don't eat the body," says Sanyal. "But after repeated killings, when the tiger realizes humans don't have as much resistance as other prey like deer or wild boar, they include humans in their prey base. If a tigress turns man-eater, she will teach her cubs to be the same. That's how you find healthy tigers and tigresses turning man-eaters here."

Currently, much of the tiger strikes occur in the northern and north-western mangrove jungle. This, Sanyal believes, is because most of this area falls within the 1,255 sq km buffer zone of the tiger reserve, where permit holders are allowed to fish and collect forest produce. Every year, about 40,000 people enter the forest with permits.

In spite of a dense 1,330.12 sq km core mangrove area left inviolate and a sound prey base, Sunderbans tigers also routinely stray into transition zone areas like Kalitala, Kultali and Jharkhali.

First, the Sunderbans tiger can't mark out its territory with its urine, as all cats do, because markings get washed away by the tides. So it roams around pretty much unrestricted. And when it spots a village across a waterway, it mistakes it for forest and crosses over. Once past the trees, it finds cattle and livestock, a perfect reason to repeat visits. Second, a tiger strays due to age, injury or pregnancy, which impairs its ability to hunt.

Sanyal cites a third cause — global warming. Rapidly rising sea levels, a combined effect of climate change and subsidence, have increased the salinity of surface water near the coastal mangrove forests on the southern side of the Sunderbans. Kolkata-based oceanographer Sugata Hazra, who's studying change in salinity levels in the region, corroborates this fact through circumstantial evidence like a fall in the population of the freshwater-loving Sundari tree and dwindling freshwater sources. The northerly migration is also accentuated by loss of forest cover in core areas in the southern islands due to rising water and erosion.

To prevent straying, foresters have put up 64 km of nylon net fencing along forest-village interfaces. This has helped, says Anjan Guha, Sunderbans Tiger Reserve deputy field director, but it isn't foolproof. Nets serve mainly as a psychological deterrent for tigers, but they can easily bring them down.

Across the country, towards the west coast, the Asiatic lion is also vulnerable. "The Gir population is insecure for two reasons," says A J T Johnsingh, a wildlife expert with the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore. Firstly, "the population has risen from a very low number leading to inbreeding and a genetically homozygous population. Reduced genetic diversity affects reproductive health of the species and increases mortality of the young".

Secondly, "an epidemic could wipe out the population."

Gir's lion population is, beyond the protected area's (PA's) carrying capacity. As far back as 1990, a census counted some 221 adults living within the PA, and a further 30-40 lions outside. Since 2002, wildlife scientist Y V Jhala has radio-collared 16-18 lions, to track their movement. "Radio collaring has shown," he says, "lions have set up 'meta-populations' outside Gir for want of space, or food." Adds Pathak: "These are young males moving out in search of new territories." Kaushik Banerjee, a Wildlife Institute of India (WII) researcher, terms it a 'dispersal' to earlier habitats. Fact is the ground reality of lion conservation has changed beyond recognition, placing it in far greater danger than ever before.

The land-use pattern around the park is completely different today. Farmers grow mango, groundnut and sugarcane. This has resulted in high private land values; grazing lands have been encroached and privatised, while excessive use of groundwater has depleted the water table to dark zone, placing, in all, more pressure on Gir forest.

Commercial agriculture has hit the lion hard, too. On an average, 25-30 lion deaths have been reported, every year, for the past three to four years.

But lions do follow the ungulates outside. So do leopards, bringing in yet another dimension to animal-human conflicts here. Poaching, too, was never a big issue in Gir. But today, people say incidents of claws missing from lion carcasses are common.

These changes foreground the need for lion conservation to grow towards creating separate lion populations. As a response to lion movement beyond the PA, the Gujarat forest department is working on the idea of 'Greater Gir'.

Now, the Central Zoo Authority and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) have prepared a blueprint, according to which pure-bred first generation Asiatic lions will be selected from different zoos. These will breed in a big natural enclosure at Kuno. Herbivores will be released so that second generation lions can develop hunting skills. "The third generation lions should be fit to be released in the wild outside the enclosure," says Rajesh Gopal, Member Secretary, NTCA.

The root of the problem remains unsolved. Will the Asiatic lion ever go off the IUCN critically endangered species list?

Monday, September 01, 2008

Few days back Gujarat forest dept had informed Mangrol and Chorwad Town councilnot to release stray dogs into the forest. These towns are very near to Gir forest. This is to prevent lions for contracting unwanted diseases.

In turn, Chorwad Council followed the instructions. But Mangrol Council President mr. Iqbal Chapara barked back. He says to forest department via press that "you first catch your wild dogs straying in our town, Compensate loses that your wild dogs have done to human beings and their property."He goes that in last two months number of dogs have suddenly increased in Mangrol. He says, these dogs have bitten human beings and have killed 150-200 sheep and goats. He (foolish) says, town dogs doesn't do these and wild dogs are responsible.

Kishore Kotecha's Comment :- I request somebody to open eyes of Mr. Council head that there are no WILD DOGS in Gir forest. So immidietly stop your stupidity.

AHMEDABAD: After losing two Asiatic lions in the last six months due to age and medical complications, a pall of gloom had descended over Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in the city. Now, there's reason for hope.

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), which runs the zoo, has written to the state government asking for a pair of Asiatic lions from Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh.

Govind, a lion, and Ekta, a lioness, died at Kankaria zoo after having lived there for more than a decade. Both the animals were favourites among visitors. The zoo sees more than 20 lakh visitors annually . Ekta, who was the oldest lioness in the zoo, came to the zoo from Sakkarbaug Zoo in 1999.

Currently, there is only one pair - Ganesha and Okha - which is a crossbreed of Asiatic and African lions. Lion population in the state is dwindling - the latest census put it at 360 in the wild.

"Procurement of Asiatic lions will be for inbreeding and also educational purpose. Captive breeding has been successful in the world for a variety of species. We have the capacity and technical know-how to breed animals here too," said an AMC official. According to Central Zoo Authority of India, only Asiatic lions and tigers are allowed to breed in captivity.

"We have been intimated about AMC's request, but the final decision will be taken by the forest department. Currently , we have 18 lions in display and care centres at the zoo," a Sakkarbaug Zoo official said.

A breeding centre was established at that zoo with the objective of studying the Asiatic lion and supply pure-bred lions to various zoos in the country and abroad.